Real Madrid started their pursuit of Gareth Bale by offering Gonzalo Higuaín
and Fábio Coentrão in a player-plus-cash deal for the Tottenham Hotspur
forward.

As Carlo Ancelotti was presented as Real head coach yesterday, his president
was trying to secure the Spanish club’s stellar signing of the summer.
Florentino Pérez wants to exploit Tottenham’s need for a top striker and
left back while avoiding having to meet the valuation of Bale, which could
be as high as £85 million.

André Villas-Boas, the Tottenham head coach, tried to sign Higuaín in 2011
when he was in charge at Chelsea.